Things Change
by theroodoll
Summary: Peeta dies to sacrifice himself, so Katniss can win the Hunger Games. So, Katniss is the lone victor from District 12 in the 74th Hunger Games. How will she deal with this? Will she start a rebellion even without the berries? What about her relationship with Gale? I know this has been done before, but please read, it should be good! Thanks!
1. Chapter 1 Girlfriend?

**Girlfriend?**

In the woods- 4 hours before the reaping

* * *

Gale and I are in the woods. In the fresh air away from my problems, however it doesn't seem that way today. Today in the woods, I'm still incredibly stressed out. In just a few hours, we will gather for the reaping where Prim, Gale, me, and every other kid in Panem could go into the Hunger Games and die. Gale and I have been sitting on this rock now, for a while, but we haven't said a word. We're both thinking. Suddenly his voice breaks the silence. "We could do it, escape into the woods."

"No, the Capitol has those big hovercrafts and everything. We wouldn't make it a week. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather live here than be tortured to death."

"Katniss, it sucks living here."

"It does... Don't you have a girlfriend? You'd leave her?"

"Girlfriend? I don't have one."

"Oh, so you broke up with her?"

"Who?"

"I don't know, I feel like you mentioned someone before or something. Besides, how would Gale Hawthorne, not have a girlfriend?" I say as I put my hand on his chest staring into his grey eyes, but then push him back with a smirk on my face.

"Haha, you're so funny. No, I don't like having a girlfriend, it's so much better just to fool around with different girls."

"Oh my gosh, please stop talking. I do not want to hear about your sex life." As much I don't want to hear more, it is nice to joke around him, especially when we both have to worry about the reaping.

"Hey, I never said having sex."

"I'm sorry, but what does 'fooling around' mean to you?"

"It means just not get attached to one girl. For now at least, it causes too much trouble in my already stressful life." It kind of does make sense though, that's why I've never spend too much time worrying over men. My life is already too stressful to worry over such nonsense.

"So, someone's gonna have a hard time finding a wife then?"I tease him. Almost everyone in the district is married, so it is expected of you to find a spouse a little after you finish school if not before then. I don't know about me, though.

" It's just that I don't need a seriously relationship now. I'm not speaking about in the future."

"Oh, okay." I say sarcastically, however Gale and I both know he won't have any problem finding a wife.

"Now, what about Katniss?"

"Will I find someone? Just look at me, I'm beautiful, and I can hunt, who wouldn't want me?" I say as I flip my braid over my shoulder and smile.

"Oh yes, hunting is on the top of people's priorities when it comes to finding a spouse."

"Yep."

We walk back into town and part our ways to get ready for the reaping. "Katniss, it's going to be fine. Everyone's going to be fine." He says as he pulls me into a hug. I want to believe that, I really do, but I can't. I give him the biggest smile I can muster to give both him and me more confidence and then walk back to my house.

* * *

Primrose Everdeen!" Effie shouts to the crowd of glum faces. Wait, what? Did she really just say that? Did I make that up in my head? No, Prim got called, Prim. Prim who had one slip in that bowl out of thousands. I see Prim white as a ghost slowly walking up to the stage. I can't let her do this. I cannot let her die. It is my responsibility that she stays safe and okay.

I start making my way out of my section pushing through people. I start going toward Prim, however Peacekeepers are there to keep me back. "No! No! I... I-" Can I do it? Can I find the small amount of courage inside of me and volunteer for her? "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE." I walk to the stage with as much confidence and pride as I can muster because I know everyone will watch this, and I want them to understand that I am no weakling.

Effie says a few more words about the Capitol or whatever and then she announces the male tribute. Please don't be Gale, please don't be Gale.

"Peeta Mellark!" Oh no, not him. He slowly walks toward the stage just as dazed as I was only moments ago, however he doesn't even try to be confident, he stands there blank. Weak. They rush us into our rooms in the Justice Building.

Gale steps in the doors. I automatically rush into his arms. I need them right now. I need to feel safe, even if only for a second. "Oh my God, Gale. What am I going to do?"

"You're going to win, that's what you're going to do. It's just like hunting, and you are an excellent hunter."

"What?" He can't possibly think that I'll actually come out of this thing alive, can he? There are 23 other tributes, some of them careers, all of which ready to kill me.

"Get a bow, you can win Katniss, I know you can."

"They don't always have a bow." If I can't get my hands on a bow, then I'm definitely screwed.

"They will if you show them how good you are."  
"Okay, okay..." I'll try I guess. I guess all I can do is hope. Hope that there will be a bow. Hope that I can get my hands on a bow. And that's so frightening to me, my fate could totally be determined by someone else. If the gamemakers don't want me to win, then I'll for sure die and there's nothing I can do about it.

Then I remember the most important thing I need him to remember. "Take care of Prim and my mom please?"  
"Of course, of course." I know he will. He adores Prim, because well she's Prim and Gale's so sweet. I don't think he could stand by and watch as she starved.

"Gale you mean so much to me." This is the last time I will ever see him. Wow, that's such a sad thing to think about. I lean forward and kiss him. I've always wondered what it'd be like to kiss him. We've spend so much time together, we cared about each other, but we never dated or anything. I mean he is gorgeous with his gorgeous eyes and his hair and his ripped body, but he had his girls, and I never butted in. However, now kissing him, feeling the passion and warmth on his lips makes me sad I haven't ever kissed him before. Now, just as I'm about to die, I realize that I care about him, and have wasted so much time just being friends with him. We kiss again, probably the both of us wanting to seize the last few moment we will have together.

He pulls away but still leaves his hand on my face. We're both smiling, enjoying each other, forgetting the world around us, the fact that I am going to die, just for the moment. "But, Katniss, you're going to come back to me." A guard comes in to take him away as I try and flash him a smile. I am on my own now. I will never see my friends and family, ever again.

* * *

**Okay, so thanks for reading! I am going to skip the whole Hunger Games, because I want the story to take place after the games, but I just wanted to include a few changes in Katniss and her relationship with Gale.**


	2. Chapter 2 Fire

Time Lapse

"There may only be one victor." I stare at Peeta, only one of us will survive.

"Katniss, look at my leg, I'm not going to survive anyway."

"No Peeta! I will not let you die."

"Well, all I have to do it wait it out, I can't last long."

"Peeta, no!" I step closer to him, and kiss him. I grab onto the back of his jacket and don't let go. I stare into his eyes as I truthfully tell him, "I won't be able to live without you. I wouldn't be able to go on."

"You'll be fine." I know that there's no rush, except for his leg and I honestly have no idea what to do. I guess the gamemakers planned this all along. They never intended for both of us to win, they just wanted a good damn show. Unbelievable, so now not only is one of us going to die, but we'll be completely scarred the rest of our life.

A mockingjay flies out of the forest out of the corner of my eye. Its wings taking that little bird anywhere he'd like to be. I wish I could do that, be-I turn back to Peeta I see him putting Nightlock berried into his mouth. "I love you, Katniss."

"Peeta! Peeta!" He starts to fall and I bring him down to the ground. He is barely breathing, as I'm holding him on the ground. "Peeta," I say with tears in my eyes, "I love you,too." Tears are streaming down my face as I stroke his hair. How could this happen? How could I let Peeta Mellark, who represented all things good in this life, die at my expense? How is it I'm holding his limp body now, and my body is still functioning? Now what? I return to Haymitch and Effie? And then Gale and Prim? How?

The cannon booms, but I don't move. Then I hear on the speakerphones, "We have our 74th Hunger Games Victor, Katniss Everdeen!" The huge hovercraft comes directly above me and I am blinded by the light. For a moment, or what seems like an eternity, I am surrounded by white. White everything. Even though, I have no idea what's going, nothing replaces my regret and sadness. That doesn't go away, and something tells me it never will. Then my father comes. His smile lights up as he sees me and he looks nice and rested and clean, unlike how he looked when he was alive. Then, Peeta comes into view too, but he doesn't see me. His face fixed with confusion and worry. I call out to him, but he doesn't respond, I start to yell his name louder and louder. Then a dark and loud voice tells me that it was my fault Peeta died, I should have died instead. I look around frantically but my father has left and Peeta isn't here either. I'm all alone.

I wake up with a start, screaming, crying. It takes me a minute to realize that I was in a dream, but was I? What is real and what is fake? I am in a white room now with white walls and white sheets on the bed I'm lying on. There are machines to my right that are beeping and tubes in my arm. What? Am I still in a dream? Is Peeta dead or did I make that up to? Was I in the Hunger Games at all? Yes, yes, I was. It is too real, too strong an emotion in my brain. I lay there for a long time, in this white room, with everything white. I don't have any clothes on and I can't even see a door leading out of this room, so I lay there, waiting. Waiting to... I have no idea what is in store, but I have no choice but to wait.

The next time I wake up, I wake up from an awful dream involving Peeta and the mutts and I convince myself that the Hunger Games definitely happened. So, I must be in the hovercraft or a Capitol hospital or something, right? Why have I not seen anyone for days, or at least what seems like days. Then, I look at my hand, and my scars are gone, not just from the games, but from hunting. All of the imperfections on my body have been erased. Incredible, if only those fancy Capitol people actually used this technology where it was needed instead of on making me look pretty, there would be so much less suffering. I don't know if I was too distracted the last time I woke up, or this happened recently, but it's weird. The only thing that happens, for what seems like hours, are my own awful thoughts and my sobs. I cry for Peeta, I cry that I didn't do anything, I cry. Time continues to pass and I start the think about the fact that I'm crazy. Or maybe I'm already dead or, or I have no idea. The silence becomes deafening.

Finally, a hidden door, that I didn't even see before opens, and Cinna enters. Cinna! Someone that cared about me, I think. I am starting to doubt everything I thought I knew to be true. However, when he sees me, he smiles, what seems genuinely, and walks over to me. I hug him and try and smile, but I can't. He gives me shorts and a shirt that I can change into once he's gone. He says very few things to me, but just tells me that I've been out of the arena for three days. Only three days, wow. Then he tells me that tomorrow I will be prepped for my interview with Caesar which will take place the following day. I try and feel happy, I mean, I won the fucking Hunger Games, I am the the most envied person in all the districts, but I don't feel happy. For the past three days, every waking moment has been spent on my thinking about the poor tributes that died and how bad I feel about it. I don't feel pride for winning, I can't. I can't feel pride because yes, I won the Hunger Games, but at what cost? At the cost of Peeta and Rue and Thresh's death? The cost of many families suffering. The cost of me losing someone dear to me? No, it was not worth it.

I put on my clothes, and just pace back and forth throughout the room until the door opens again. Haymitch walks in through the door abruptly. I should be happy to see him again, but I don't. He congratulates me on winning, but he isn't thrilled to say that, like many other Capitol people would. The way he says it, I know he understands. He understands the pain and the hurt I'm not supposed to feel, but that I do. I hug him and am thankful to see another familiar face, and he isn't even drunk. I tell him thanks and give him the biggest smile I muster. "I'll see you tomorrow for the interview prep." He says as he exits out of the mysterious door that seems to disappear.

The following day, I am woken up my Cinna who says it is time to get ready. He leads me to another room down a short white hallway. The dress he has made is yellow and orange and red, however as he tells me, there will be no flames, just this beautiful fabric. He puts it on me and even though I look like a mess still, the dress is completely gorgeous. It makes my body look much better than it actually is. The red fabric starts at the bottom of my dress, above my thighs, and where red ends the orange fades into it working its way up to my stomach and then the yellow engulfs the orange leaving a yellow neckline.

"Cinna, you've done it again."

"Katniss you look, beautiful." He says to me staring into my eyes through the mirror. I just nod. I'm not beautiful, at all. I physically am not beautiful, my personality is not beautiful, the only thing beautiful about me right now, is this dress on me. But, sure Cinna, you can give the impression to the people of Panem, that I am beautiful, no matter how from the truth that may be. He turns me around and looks directly into my sad, bland eyes, "Don't lose your fire, Katniss."


	3. Chapter 3 Strength

**Chapter 3-Strength **

**Alright, long chapter everyone, so please read and review! Thanks!**

Don't lose my fire? Why did he say that? I guess he can see the passion I used to have, but now have lost. I always thought about just getting through the games. Getting through the arena, the tributes, the knives, but now that that is over, now what? I am so different, I am such a different person in general compared to the person I used to be. How will I go back home to the old life I used to live?

My thoughts are interrupted as the door bursts open with an ecstatic prep team. They immediately rush over to me, hug me, and awe over Cinna's most recent creation. I just smile and say yes or no answers to their questions. I do not the the patience or desire to make them happy, in fact it takes all that is in me to sit here and not yell at them. They encourage the games! If it weren't for people like them, the hunger games wouldn't happen, people wouldn't die everyday because of things that could be easily prevented like starvation.

Soon, I am cleaned and they dismiss me. I am shown to my old floor in the Training Center where I stayed where I lived with my death sentence. Only it wasn't a death sentence. God knows how. I immediately go to my room and lock the door. I sit on my bed and cry until I fall asleep.

I wake up after a vicious nightmare where I know I've been crying and screaming in my sleep. Is this how every night will be? The day quickly passes by getting dressed and prettied up by my prep team. Finally after hours of prep, they tell me I am ready for my interview. I get in this car thing and we travel to another building. I go inside and am ushered to backstage. There I see a bunch of people rushing around barking orders. Caesar stands on the other side of the backstage but he sees me and smile and I smile back.

Finally, the crowd is quieted and Caesar goes on stage to give a brief introduction before announcing my name. "Lets welcome the winner of the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen!" I walk past the curtain towards the audience of thousands of freaks. Their faces are excited, thrilled to finally see me, their newest victor. The one person in all of Panem that girls will look up to, and guys will adore. The one person that all of Panem is watching right now, whether they were forced to or not. I am that person now. I walk on the stage with a smile on my face as I wave to the audience. I ignore the emptiness in my chest and hurt in my heart. These people will look up to me. These people will not actually understand how I feel, at least for now. I will try to be strong, for myself. I greet Cesar and sit down.

"So Katniss, we are ecstatic to see you again." The crowd cheers. I smile. "Throughout the games I know that you have been a crowd favorite, and it is nice to have you sitting here, now." Yeah, I'm here instead of Peeta, Rue, Cato, Glimmer, Foxface, everyone. If I weren't here, one of them would have been. The crowd claps again.

"Yes, I have to say, I feel so..." So what? Hurt? Angry? Guilty? "accomplished, that I have won the Hunger Games. I mean I knew in my heart the whole time that I could, but it is nice for this to be reality."

"Yes, I think we all agree. So, you said you knew you could win the whole time, is that because of your sister, Prim?"

Oh dear God. I don't want this interview to continue. "Yes, that was definitely part of it. I knew that when she got reaped, I couldn't let her get killed, so I took her place. Ever since then, I knew I had what it took for me to win the Games. My motivation was honestly a survival instinct. I didn't want to die, and I was going to fight. Fight for my life. Fight for my destiny."

"Yes, fight for your destiny, I like it. Well how did you compare to people like the careers, who have been training their whole lives for that moment?"

"I don't know. I mean I can hunt, and after all I got a Twelve from the gamemakers, fair and square,"I kind of got it fair and square..." so I definitely compared to them. I mean ultimately, it doesn't matter who was a better archer or who had more kills or even more allies. At the end of the day, the person that comes out of the arena and is crowned victor is the last one alive, and I got that done. I did what I needed to do to stay alive, and when that meant killing Cato in the end, I did it."

"Yes, I'm glad you mentioned that... the end. That was very eventful. Please tell me what happened with Peeta. Did he not have that survival instinct you did to keep him alive?"

"I don't know what happened, honestly. It went from a minute of pure joy because of thinking that we were both going to such confusion. I-I don't know how, I let it happen." I start to lose it and a tear runs down my cheek. "I should have made sure he came out. I mean Peeta Mellark was truly, to me, the most sincere, kind-hearted, compassionate man I have ever known. He truly brought the best out of me, and honestly, I feel guilty. I feel so guilty that I came out of the arena instead of him. I let him commit suicide to save my life, I'm truly an awful person?"

"Oh, Katniss, it's okay. It's not your fault. I mean he really wanted you to come home, so enjoy that. He thought you deserved to win, as do we all." He turns to the crowd and they clap as if in agreement. I have been staring out into the audience as a whole, but now that I notice particular faces in the crowd. Some are sad some are chatting quietly with their friends. Some are happy, some are confused. I'm sure a lot of them don't understand why I feel guilty about living, however if they had to watch someone close to them sacrifice them self so you could live, they'd feel the same.

"I think he would have been such a better person, than I'm ever going to be. He deserved to live more than I did." So much for being strong. "I-I just wanted to say that, Peeta Mellark represented all things good, and I will forever love him, and miss him... We fell in love in this hellish place, we stayed together, and made it to the end. He was a remarkable person, and I feel honored to be in his life."

"I think that about wraps it up." Tears are running down, but I don't wipe them away. I want these awful people in the audience to know what they've done. These are peoples' lives that they are playing with, this is not some game.

The lights go dark and a video starts to play behind me. Oh no, I am not prepared to watch the games right now. The video starts out with everyone at the Cornucopia, but other than that, there are very few shots of the other tributes. When Peeta joined with the Careers, it was as plain as day to the audience that he was extremely distraught, and not actually with the Careers. He tried to lead the Careers astray any way he possibly could and help me as much as possible. I hate the feelings that stir up inside me. I feel guilt, maybe for leading him on because I don't know how I felt about him in the end and certainly not at the beginning, but he did. When I send the trackerjackers down on them, I look really bad from the audience's point of view. Like I'm taking advantage of him. However, the strange part about all of this, is that it isn't like reliving the games. It feels like I am at home watching a whole different Hunger Games. Especially not the games I was in up until a few days ago. Peeta comes back though, and saves my life, again. They really don't show the other tributes at all because they are telling a story, a love story. I love story about the poor star crossed lovers who ended up dying in the end and ended up all alone.

Then, it comes to Rue's death, and they play every minute of it. I see my hopeless effort to try and save her and I watch her die. When I put the flowers around her, I don't remember my motivation at the time, but I am so glad I did it. This poor twelve year old girl should not have gone through that. I start crying as I watch her lifeless body there. The Capitol has added this music to the video that compliments the song I sang her, and that makes me lose my grip over myself even more.  
I watch the final tributes die in the end. However even Clove's death seems to make me sad. Then, we get to Peeta. I just close my eyes and try to ignore it, but that doesn't work. See us both love birds as happy as we can be as we crawl down the cornucopia. When the announcement is made, it takes us both a minute to realize what that means, the death sentence given to us. Peeta understands it first and he can tell by the way his eyes fixate on the background that he is thinking. Thinking about his life, thinking about what is worth dying for, living for, and unfortunately he decides I am worth dying for. Why? Why did he completely fall for me? It was completely my fault. I should have died! I shouldn't have fallen for him, I knew this was going to happen. Only it's so much worse. I thought, when he died, I would just feel like I owed him, but there's so much more to it. Some of my kisses weren't exactly real, but I started to really grow in my feelings for him. Even if I wasn't in love with him, he still became my best friend, or something. But, having Peeta gone, I feel like I have a part of me missing now.

"Well, I think that wraps it up, see you all tomorrow." Says a more solemn Caesar. Whew, it's finally over. The audience claps, and I walk backstage.

Effie walks up to me and says, "That was very moving, Katniss." As if I had said a speech at a graduation or something? It wasn't about me. It was about him, and how awful the Capitol is to let that happen. Not just to him, not just to me, but in many other kids, many other families, many other years of this. This has to be stopped. I just keep walking down the hallway, not waiting for anyone, not acknowledging Effie's comment, not even knowing where I'm going. I just keep walking.  
I walk down hallway after hallway, and even up a few flights of stairs until, I'm at the rooftop of this building. I open the door and take a deep breath, I finally feel like I can breathe. I look out into the city. The people from this building are now exiting. Some are crying a little, others laughing, as they all continue on with their lives. Except for us, except for the tributes who have died, the families who watched them die, and me. I am a totally new person because of this, and there is no going back.  
I slump against the ground and cry. I sob and sob. I try to keep myself awake even though I'm extremely tired, because I know the nightmares will be vicious tonight. And I know I'll have to face them myself, and then I'll wake up, and have to face my shitty life by myself.

I stand up and feel the wind through my hair, and remember a time, when I was happy. At least happier. I had troubles, I had worries, but I had people to face it with. I had loved ones to be around. Everyone around me hadn't died. Everyone around me hadn't encouraged death upon those people. How do these Capitol people live with themselves? Haven't they ever lost a loved one or anything? Why would they want to inflict that pain and heart ache onto others? People they hadn't met, but surely not their enemies. How could they go along with this year after year?

I know people are looking for me, but I don't want to see any of them. I hope it takes them days to find me. I am alone. I was when I went through the horrific games. Now, I realize these people are despicable but all people in general don't understand you. They can't actually help you.

I look up at the stars and moon. They're so hard to see in the Capitol, but I must have been up here for a while, so it's getting dark and the stars are easier to see. I looked at stars with my father, and with Gale. My dad thought they were beautiful, so we would stay our in the woods and gaze at them. Gale didn't know the names of constellations, so he made up names. He'd name some after us, and others after random nonsense words that came to his head. I just stare into those bright lights in the sky so far away...

The door bursts open and I can hear Effie say, "Katniss?... Everyone, I found her!"

I keep looking at the stars and the city, and don't look at her. I hear more footsteps and I know that others have come, but I still don't want to turn around. I do though, I turn around and walk past Effie, and Haymitch, and Cinna, and some other people I don't recognize. I just walk past them, and don't make eye contact with any of them. I don't like them, I don't want to talk with them.

"Effie, are you going to lead the way?" She looks at other people but then just starts marching down the hallway. I follow, not saying a word. We get into a car and drive back to our building. We take the 12th floor up in silence. Haymitch and I both go to the kitchen. "What was that all about, sweetheart?" I don't respond.

He orders his drink and I ask for coffee, caffinated, because I don't want to go to bed. "Maybe you take it easy on the caffinee."

"Maybe you should take it easy on the alcohol. Oh wait, you never do."

"Well, then, what's gotten into you?"

"I think it's just me being a teenager. Yeah, probably my hormones." The Capitol attendant hands me my drink and tells Haymitch, his will be done shortly. "Goodnight Haymitch." I go to my room. I have so much anger, I guys I'm directing some of it at him, but I don't care, he deserves it.

I finish my coffee, put a T-shirt and shorts on, and walk down the stairs. I jog up and down the stairs. I have to do something, otherwise I'll just cry and scream for the next year of my life. But, I eventually shout, "Peeta! Why did you leave me? You left me all alone!" I miss him, and he has been someone that I wouldn't have been able to just be cold to. He cared about me. He would have helped me. I want him back. I start exercising again until I'm exhausted. I sneak back onto the floor and take a shower. I look at the clock and it says three in the morning. Oh well.

I wake up around six because of my nightmare, and I hear chatter. Usually people aren't up for a while so I decide to get out of bed. "What's everybody doing up?"

"Oh good morning, Katniss. We were just starting breakfast a little early today."

"Why?"

"Because you woke everyone up with your screams, sweetheart." Says a hungover Haymitch.

"Haymitch!" Scolds Effie.

"Well, sorry about that, I'll be out of your hair in a few days."

"Nonsense. You're fine Katniss." I sit down and grab a plate to eat. Everyone is present, however no one has anything to say. Finally, Effie breaks the silence. "Katniss, you will be going home today." Wow, I hadn't even thought about that. Today I will see Gale and my mom and Prim. Today, not maybe sometime in the future, not next month, today. There is no question that I have changed, completely. I wonder how I will fit back into my old life. I wonder what Prim or my mother will think about me.

I just respond with an "Oh." We finish our food and Effie tells me I have two hours before we need to leave for the train station. She leaves, Cinna leaves, and Haymitch is passed out on the couch. I decide to make my way over to the Training Center. I take the elevator all the way down and as soon as I open the doors, memories flood my brain, so I slam the doors back shut. I need to get a grip on myself and my emotions. I reopen the doors and close out the memories of seeing Rue for the first time or seeing Peeta camouflage himself. I run straight towards the bow and arrow station and shoot. I shoot and shoot. Bulls eye after bulls eye, however if feels good. Good to get my anger out. Good to feel something I know so well resting in my palm.

I decide enough time has passed, so I close the doors behind me and head up to floor 12. In my room, I see my pin resting on my nightstand and I grab it. This is something important to me. Something I will not lose or forget about. Our whole team leaves the building and we soon arrive at the train station.

The ride passes by slowly by me staring at the clock, hoping for I don't know. Should I hope that the time goes by quickly? Should I hope that time goes by slowly? I don't know. A Capitol attendant notifies us that we are five minutes away, so I get up to say my goodbyes. I smile as I say goodbye to my prep team, I won't miss them, but they deserve to know that I appreciate the hard work they have put in to help me.

I don't have to say goodbye to Haymtich because he is getting off the train with me, but that still leaves Effie and Cinna. I hug Effie and tell her how much I appreciate everything she's done for me. She just smiles. Then, I say goodbye to Cinna. He is the one person I have to say I am going to miss. I hug him and thank him. I smile as much as I can, but I can only stay strong for so long. He frowns a little when he sees me somber and not excited to go home. I'm sure he doesn't like the new person I've become. Well too bad for him, I guess. We have arrived at Twelve. Through the windows you can immediately tell the poverty and destruction I know as home. The dirty coal mining dust on everything, the houses that look more like shacks than actual buildings. The kids running around practically in rags. Yes, I am finally home. I put on the most convincing victor smile I can before stepping out into the adoring citizens of District Twelve.


End file.
